An Assassin's Memories
by Raven6224
Summary: After falling into the chasm Vanya Romanova and Bucky Barnes are intercepted by the leader of the KGB who used to watch over Vanya as a child. Now dealing with the revelation of who her father is and struggling to get away from KGB to confront her mother there is a lot going on behind the scenes, a deadly enemy from the past is ready for vengeance and it's up to Vanya to stop him.
1. Before the Dawn

_Chapter One: Before the Dawn_

_**Everyone's been commenting on a sequel to "A Young Assassin" so I'm here to please and I'll kick it off with the first chapter. Now, as some of you may know I'm working on "In the Line of Fire, Panic" so I haven't really been writing this so I may take a little longer to update but don't worry never month long wait so be sure to follow and comment on the first chapter of "Black Mamba: Kiss of Death.**_

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When I open my eyes all I see is darkness, the air is chilly as if I were kept in a deep freezer. My teeth chatter together as I glance around trying to remember what happened when my memories resurface. Steve threw me across the chasm to help Bucky but we jumped when the fake machine exploded and fell into the abyss. I remember feeling arms wrap around me, Bucky must have protected me from the fall but where is he?

On a side note I'm still reeling from the revelation of who Ruark said was my father but how can I be sure that he was telling me the truth, it might have just been a lie to trick me. The only thing that does not add up about that theory is why he would use that to trick me, the thing is, there's no way that could be a trick. Does that mean Ruark was telling me the truth?

Heavy footsteps sound and I push myself up on my feet, wincing and sinking my teeth into my bottom lip to keep from howling out in pain. My whole body aches, especially my shoulder but I can't recall any reason it would hurt.

"You're awake..." he says, in a low, gruff voice.

A faint glimmer of white light flashes behind him. His brown hair is messy and greasy and his lip is still busted and coated with dried blood and so is his nose. His eyes scan over me, as if to check if I'm broken or something.

I roll my shoulders, groaning, and winching at the same time when a sharp, shooting pain rips through my entire right side.

"Be careful," he warns, stepping forward, reaching his human hand out to me. "I had to pry out a bullet."

I look at him as my face contorts in confusion. Shot? "When did I get shot...?" I ask, tilting my head. Retracting his arm he shrugs.

"I don't know, wasn't keeping track of what you were doing."

Stepping closer to Bucky I look around the area and realize that this isn't the chasm anymore this-this is a cave, when did he move me to a cave and how long have I been out for? As if sensing my questions he speaks.

"You've been out for one and a half days and I moved us to this cave when I woke up after that fall, thanks for the warning by the way, and just in case you wonder later, I didn't do anything to you while you were out, I'm not a pedophile."

I shudder, kind of grossed out by the thought of that. "I didn't think you would so don't worry."

We stand in silence, my mind picking away at what Ruark told me, just as I open my mouth to ask him about whether or not it's true, helicopter blades sound and both Bucky and I look towards the caves opening. Darting forward, I bite my bottom lip, keeping the pain at bay as we dart from the cave and into the blinding brightness of the afternoon sun.

We seem to be in a forest of some sort, tall ten foot tall trees loom overhead and the sky is bright blue, birds chirping off in the distance. If we weren't running it might actually be serene. Following behind Bucky makes me really glad I was trained by the Red Room, any normal, nonactive person would pass out if they had to run this fast and for so long.

Nearing the forests edge Bucky grabs my waist and pulls me with him behind a bush and releases me as we peer up at the sky, both of us highly trained assassins looking for the helicopter. Helicopters may not seem like a big deal to normal people but to assassins like us we're trained to notice things out of the ordinary and a helicopter being here isn't normal.

Someone is here, looking for either me, him, or us both. We watch as a sleek black helicopter with sun reflecting metal wings lands by the cave where we just were. Wind from the blades blast across the land sending a cloud of dust our way, I close my eyes and hold my breath and I assume Bucky did the same thing. I tap Bucky's shoulder when the dust clears and we both watch as the helicopter door opens and out steps a woman with chestnut brown hair wound tightly in a bun and cold hazel eyes.

_Vasilisia Dubroski_

This is the woman who was around during my childhood, she would watch me, take care of me, and sneak me candy until one day she stopped coming, shortly after that the experiments for the Black Widow Program and the Black Mamba program began. She left me to what, become the Red Room leader? How could she leave me like that, I was a child and she was the only companion I had.

"Vanya Romanova, and James Barnes, if you come out now we won't have to use extensive force. Besides Vanya, the Red Room owns you, you know that. Come with me willingly and you can still aid the KGB and take out HYDRA."

Internally I snort my disinterest but keep watching as more people climb from the helicopter, all of them armed with highly volatile electric knock out guns powerful enough to take out six elephants at once, there's no way I would be able to stay awake if shocked by that and looking at the darkened look on Bucky's face I don't think he could either.

So here we stand at a crossroad, step forward and get taken back to Red Room, the place nightmare are made of, or try to escape and risk being knocked out and killed. The sound of rustling leaves sound behind up and I spin around, slamming my foot out, knocking the KGB member to the ground. Vasilisia and her group come forward as Bucky takes the knock out gun from the KGB member as I kick him in the head as hard as I can, knocking him unconscious.

Stepping forward she lets a smile creep across her glossy pink lips and her eyes twinkle with glee?

"Hello Vanya," she purrs, looking at me. "You were so small and now look at you, a deadly force of nature. You were trained well, a worthy opponent to any women, or man for that matter."

"What do you want," I growl, stepping forward, trying to hide my feelings of betrayal.

"You. I've come for you seeing as how Ruark, that idiot leader of HYDRA hasn't been doing a very good job of using you with your full potential, he's been low balling you. giving you simple mundane tasks to gain the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., well, what's left of it that is."

How does she know about that? I only know about the desolation of S.H.I.E.L.D. due to working for HYDRA for all those years, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s just barely came back with the sole base HQ I was taken to when captured but aside from that they've lost all their international intel and anything they did have was leaked onto the internet for everyone to see.

Then Vasilisia looks from me to Bucky and gives a knowing smile.

"It's good to see you as well James Barnes, Bucky? Or do you prefer Winter Solider?"

Bucky doesn't respond, just narrows his eyes at her as if wondering how she knows him, he was cryogenically frozen for many, many years so it's understandable that he may not know exactly who she is.

"Oh," she said, throwing her hands up and blushing slightly. "I'm sorry, I'm Vasilisia and the head of the KGB and focus my energy of the Red Room. You, back in the day, were of great use to the KGB that's why that red star is printed on your arm. The same offer for Vanya applies to you as well, if you come with me you'll live for another day, unless you try something."

I look around, we are surrounded by KGB agents with more of those knock out guns and I'm sure we could take them out without to much trouble but I don't want to risk it, I look to Bucky who seems to be thinking the same thing. He sets the gun down on the floor and we both raise our hands in surrendering position.

"Good decision," she replies. "Lets go."

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**_Also I changed my mind and decided to make it it's own story instead so yeah, this is the sequel._**


	2. The Red Room

_Chapter Two: The Red Room_

_**"Black Mamba: Kiss of Death" started last chapter following after "A Young Assassin" Vanya woke up in a cave with Bucky AKA Winter Solider after the fall and now they've been taken by Vasilisia Dubroski who used to take care of Vanya during her childhood but is now the leader of the KGB and owns The Red Room. Now as always be sure to comment and follow meh story and I'll write as soon as I can!**_

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A crippling, almost symbolic sort of fear fell over me as I sit on a shabby wooden stool in the center of the Red Room's training facility looking at all the cracks in the stone walls, the red tinted bloods stains splattered all across the ground, and the area just radiated tragedy. A lot of people died in this room, so many that I can't even count them on two hands and my two feet. I can practically feel the death enveloping me, it makes my skin crawl as goosebumps trail up my arms and all I want to do is run, run far away from this room and never look back.

This place holds no good memories the only memories this place leave are ones of me being strapped down to a lab table as scientist poked and prodded me, sent electric shock waves through my body, and trained me to death. Even when I was loaned to HYDRA nightmares of this place still haunted me, loomed over me and wouldn't let me free of the horrible torture I was put through.

When we arrived at The Red Room Vasilisia split up up and left me in her while taking Bucky somewhere else in the facility. Who knows what they could be doing to him while I'm trapped in this room, completely useless and unable to help him. My leg bounced, moving my arm with it as my mind flips through all the possible scenarios, none of them are good. I know she said she wouldn't hurt him but maybe she was lying, a lot of people lie. I've done it many, many times even before I was sent out on missions, seeing as I'm a professional liar and all.

The door to the Red Room Training area—where I am currently—comes open and Vasilisia steps in, grinning down at me like I'm a child who can't snap her neck in one movement. Getting my face neutral I wait for her to speak which doesn't take too long.

"So here's what's going to happen _Black Mamba,_" she grounds out my codename like it's vile in her mouth. You and dear Winter Soldier will do anything I tell you whether or not you want to and I'll let you continue living."

Rolling my eyes I give a light laugh. "Kill me, you can't make me do anything I don't want to do."

"Oh, we thought you might say that," she say, pulling a small remote like devise and press a button in the bottom right and I watch as a flat screen TV emerges from the white walls. The screen flashes to life and shows grainy black and white video feed but as soon as I adapt to black and white I realize what I'm looking at. Bucky was strapped down to a lab table—like the ones HYDRA used to strap him to. Furiously he struggled and strained against the restraints and I knew what their threat was—if I don't they'll electrocute him like HYDRA and turn him against me, probably have him kill me, I can't let that happen.

He finally recovered most of his memories and I can't be the reason they are taken away so begrudgingly I nod my head, letting my head fall. I'm helpless right now, there is nothing I can do, once again I'm the bad guy of this story, just like always.

I hear her laugh. "Here," she thrusts the file into my hand and I hear her footsteps retreat but stop just before the door.

Looking up I keep quiet.

"I'm not the bad guy here Vanya, I'm doing what I have to do. For once S.H.I.E.L.D. and the KGB are on the same side, our common goal? Take out HYDRA and if he agrees I'll let Winter Soldier be your partner on all these missions."

The door to the room closes and I sit stationary on the chair, refusing to open the folder until finally I flip it open, looking over my new identity and who I'm going to be taking out, I am an assassin after all.

**Name: Rayza Aline Mesquita**

**Age: 18**

**Mother/Father: Luiz and Vera Mesquita**

**Parents Occupation: Luiz, factory worker; Vera, secretary to Marcelo or Marcelo Incorporated  
**

**Education: High School GED and Associates Degree**

**Siblings: *Older Brother* Vicente Mesquita (Bucky Barnes)**

**Birthday: July 27, 1995**

**Mission: Infiltrate HYDRA base in Brazil and take the building out, kill any and all agents of HYDRA, show no mercy. No prisioners will be taken. Hack into the main computer located in HYDRA's control room, transfer all information onto a flashdrive. Once information is obtained and all members killed, the building burnt to the ground, call on secured KGB issued phone and ask for Rama who'll pick Black Mamba and Winter Solider up at a check point that will be determined at a future time. When back at Red Room deliver flashdrive back to Vasilisia and wait for further instruction.**

Footsteps sound and I close the file, looking up at the door just as Vasilisia returns, Bucky in tow. He enters the room without a word, his arms are bound by what seems to be a really strong metal, probably the kind that makes up Captain America's shield, but the Vibranium in his shield is the only kind of metal on Earth so that doesn't explain how Vasilisia got handcuffs strong enough to keep Bucky from breaking free of them.

"Sorry I took so long Vanya, or do you prefer one of you many, many alias's? Rayza."

I glare at her, saying nothing.

Sighing she shakes her head as she runs her fingers through her hair. "I had to read the file to the Winter Solider because I don't trust him enough to let him read it himself."

My gaze slides to Bucky who hangs his head, letting brown hair fall down around, hiding his face from view, I can only imagine what he's thinking but I can't help but feel that it's all my fault we're here. If I hadn't thrown him into the chasm he wouldn't have taken me to Russia and we wouldn't be held captive by the KGB. It's all my fault.

I try to be good, to do something good but I still end up the bad guy of the story. Is this all I'll ever be, the antagonist to my mom, the Black Widow's protagonist because all I seem to do when trying to do good is make things worse but when I'm on the wrong side of the tracks I do it right, I destroy everything and kill people but I didn't fail. All I want to do it to be good, I've been bad and that was before I knew the good but now, just the thought of murder made my skin crawl.

"So, you two do this for me and I may just set you free, if we find what we're looking for that is," she says, looking back and forth between Bucky and me.

Looking up his eyes meet my cold green ones and before I say anything he beats me to the punch.

"We'll agree to your terms if you make good on your word and set us free."

"You have my word," she smirks.

"How much is that really worth?" I say, standing, my arms crossed over my chest, back arched slightly.

"It's worth the world Vanya, I have all the power here and you haven't been much use to the KGB, we haven't needed you, we only need your skills right now, you make good on your promise and I'll hold up my end of the bargain. I'll set up a plane ride to Brazil for the two of you, remember," she points at me. "I have eyes everywhere."

With that she turns and leaves the room, leaving Bucky and me alone with the thoughts of what's to come swirling around our heads.


	3. Playing the Part

_Chapter Three: Playing the Part_

**_That's right, I'm back and as you all can tell, I've changed a few things. I'm sorry about the wait but I literally had no idea what to do and it wasn't headed in a good direction but now I'm back and I'm going to go slower than I used to on this series but after Panic's series this will be my main focus, but I plan to update from now on. Be sure to follow, favorite, and comment on this story._**

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Brazil isn't quite as amazing as one might assume, it could perhaps be due to the case of us being here on a mission while everyone else is able to enjoy themselves on a vacation. My hands are literally shaking at my side as we pass by the large crowds of people and while I see their mouth's move, no words come out, I can't seem to hear anything over the loud feeling of familiarity.

How could that be? I haven't even been an assassin long enough to come to this place and even if I had, I would remember walking through the streets of the city and all the flashing lights. This is not a place one would forget, especially not if I was here to kill somebody.

"Olhe vivo Rayza, estamos aqui em uma missão. Mantenha-se focado (_Look alive Rayza, we're here on a mission. Stay_ focused)" I hear Bucky whisper to me as we stalk through the city, weaving through alleys and around buildings.

The sun overhead sets the world on fire, well, not literally. Sweat drips down my forehead as we press on. Vasilisia told us which house she'd 'rented' for us to stay in during the duration of this mission and when we complete it she says we may go free but I don't believe her. She's a trained spy and lying is second nature, you do what you have to for the mission to be completed.

Whether that includes lying to those who will be behind the mission or even using torture as a method to get what is needed then so be it. All that matters to a spy, or an assassin, is to complete or get the mission completed by the pawns who will be used like chess pieces. If we're caught, she won't be the one to take the fall, no, Bucky and I will be.

She knows we won't let them take us so we'll take out those that are trying to capture us so then, if we do, we'll be fugitives in Brazil which is bad and we cannot tell them as they know nothing about HYDRA. Finally when I look up from the dust I see we've found out 'home base' of sorts until we can figure out a way to escape from the KGB's clutches.

The house is painted an ugly, pale yellow shade with one window on the left wall where I can only assume the living room is located. The paint is peeling off the walls and all the plants in the yard are long since dead and wilted. Bucky pulls the key out of his baggy black hoodie and unlocks the door, holding it open for me and closes it behind him.

I reach for the light switch and flip the tab up, after flickering a few times finally an ugly glow of yellow lighting comes alive, painting the room in it's ugly coloration. Shaking my head I step away from the door and pass through the doorway. The house smells of dust bunnies, cigarette smoke, alcohol, and like what an old school library.

As predicted the only window is in the teeny-tiny living room only large enough to fit a small rocking chair, a side table in the rooms center, and a love seat pressed close to the wall where the window resides. With a sigh, I step through the doorway and collapse on the love seat as if I just got back from a funeral but instead all I can think about is the mission looming over us.

Footsteps near and I already know it's Bucky so I don't bother with looking up from the floor, I can sense him leaning against the doorway, eyes just watching me as if I'm glass and will break at any minute. We made it here just in time for nightfall to come across the city, I can see the shadow of light on the hardwood floor slowly fade away each minute as the sun sinks below the horizon.

"Are you alright?" he finally says, stepping all the way into the room, sitting down on the rocking chair across from me. Taking a deep breath I shake my head, run my hand through my hair and look up at him.

"Yeah, I'm just... Things are just so..." I trail off, unable to complete a single thought, everything's to complicated right now, too difficult to comprehend and explain into words but Bucky seems to understand what I'm trying to say as he nods.

"I know."

We just sit in silence, neither of us saying anything. It's not an uncomfortable silence just a silence where there's nothing more we can say, nothing we can say the will change anything so it's easier to say nothing at all. Just when all is silent something, some type of recognition flickers in my mind. Something, something like a dream that haunts away at you.

_"95.78 NW, be there. Hail HYDRA..."_

I blink a few times, coordinates, that's what those are, coordinates to what?

"Hey..."

Where did I hear that?

"Hey!"

It has to mean something, a HYDRA base obviously but there are thousands of HYDRA bases.

"Vanya!"

I look up at Bucky whose moved from the rocking chair to the seat on the love seat beside me. Blinking a few times I feel a headache coming on, the pounding, pulsing type. "Portuguese..." I suddenly say, straightening up, eyes wide.

"What? Vanya, what are you talking about?" he asks again.

"They said it in Portuguese, 95.78 NW, be there. Hail HYDRA. The base location, the base location for HYDRA here in this part of Brazil is wherever that is, that's where we'll find the HYDRA base."

"Are you sure?" he asks, suddenly.

Silence passes between us, then the answer comes burning the the tip of my tongue. "I am."

Getting up off the couch I push past the doorway of the living room and search the two bedrooms, looking for my stuff that was give to me for this mission by Vasilisia and pull out a black cloak with dark red on the inside as well as carefully sculpted black spiral designs on the inside. Even if Bucky doesn't want to come with me I have to go.

It's all I can think about, I have to know whether or not I was right. This is the make or break moment for me, if I'm right then I have no idea what that means. The world will then be carrying more information about me than I even know about myself, I could not have made that information up because I can hear the man's voice as he said it, so intensely.

He said it, not just to someone else, no, to me. Whoever or whatever said that to me but I-I can't...

"Vanya, where are you going?" Bucky asks from the doorway as I finish the knot on the cloak and pull the hood up. Grabbing my weapons I strap them to me in an easy but reasonable to reach place. I cannot be wrong, if I am then who knows what I'm walking into.

"I'm investigating, I have to know if I'm right," I reply, brushing past him as I pass by the other bedroom and the kitchen.

"Wait a minute," he sighs. "I'm coming with you."

"I do not need a babysitter, I'll be fine on my own."

He pauses a minute before replying. "I don't care if you think you'll be fine, if you're wrong, or right, it could be dangerous and who knows what information we might find so I am coming whether you like it or not, understood."

"You're not the boss of me," I say, pulling the front door open and stepping out into the night.


	4. Across the Shattered Glass

_Chapter Four: Across the Shattered Glass_

**_Okay, so this is pretty much the same as it was before except for the bottom parts so if you don't want to reread the entire chapter again go to then verything after this is new: _**'Stepping forward my fingers instantly jump to the keys typing in pass code after pass code and trying to break through the firewalls which takes me only a few minutes if that before we are fully into HYDRA's system**' _be sure to follow favorite and commen_t**

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Bucky jumps down from the room off the ten story building landing on top of the post office practically unscathed then rises from his crouch from the impact and turns around and looks up at me. His face is hidden by dark goggles and the black metal mask he wore when he was known as the Winter Solider, the comm unit in his ear is hidden beneath his brown hair just like my comm is hidden by my red hair.

"Drop down, I'll catch you, I promise," his voice bounces through the comm. Taking a deep breath I push myself off and feel my stomach jumps up into my throat as the chilling October wind whips through my hair and sends stinging pain through my exposed face. My cloak flies upwards into the sky as I descend downwards toward the rooftop that if I landed on would most likely kill me upon impact. Just as I almost hit the ground, Bucky's arms firmly clasp around my hips and he quickly sets me down on my feet.

Stepping back I dust off my red and black leather covered corset and straightened my cloak. Reaching into my boots I pull out six daggers, placing three in each hands and head toward the smokey gray metal door across the rooftop from where we stand now. The door flies open and men in gray jumpsuits and rifles come marching in and just at Bucky gets into fighting position the four me fall to the ground, bleeding, and grasping at the daggers I'd tossed into their necks.

He looks at me shocked as I walk over and retrieve my daggers. As we near the door I say, "I'm not called the Black Mamba for nothing Winter Solider."

Bucky says nothing and just follows me through the door where HYDRA agents swarmed out from ever door, every hallway, and every ceiling tile. Reaching into the holsters position on my hips, in the blink of an eye I have my pistols out and start firing as Bucky fires his automatic weapon at the people behind us. It a matter of minutes the hallway is stained red with the blood of its agents and bodies lie dead on the ground around us.

"Hey, are you—" he starts, and I can feel his eyes staring at the back of my head.

"I'm fine, just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I can't handle this, I've killed more people then I'd like to admit but still," I turn the corner. "We have a mission to complete, that's the most important thing at this moment."

We turn and more guards file in but in the blink of an eye, they're either shot down or have my daggers lunged into their throats. My eyes dance across the room but I can't help but feel a strike of similarity in this base despite never being her it seems like I have. Bucky takes the lead and we soon stop in front of a steel door with and X shaped marking on it.

Aiming my pistol I shoot the lock with a loud ringing metal clang with bounces throughout the empty hallway. Putting my pistol back in the holster Bucky has me enter the room first and he closes the door behind him. The room we enter is so big that I feel like a tiny ant in comparison. A large computer monitor took up the majority of the wall in in front of us while the long white table that rounds the walls of the room have all types of technology scattered across it as well as the keyboard.

Stepping forward my fingers instantly jump to the keys typing in pass code after pass code and trying to break through the firewalls which takes me only a few minutes if that before we are fully into HYDRA's system. Bucky hands me the flashdrive from his pocket and just as I'm about to connect it into the keyboard to begin the process of transferring the files I have a different idea.

I pull up all the documents onto the screen, most of the words have been blacked out, preventing me from fully understanding the documents but one thing I know for sure is that it isn't good. It's not information on HYDRA but more like an experiment, or in other words a project I suppose HYDRA plans to do but the KGB caught wind of it and want to use it for themselves.

**Project: Blood War **created by Atticus Rothwell, a well renounced scientist and DNA manipulator for HYDRA, while I've heard about him, something else in the back of my mind stings with recognition. I know him, really know him but how? He's best known for the DNA and blood work he did with the Black Mamba Program, the program that made me, me.

While I heard about what he did, I never met him but I can't help but feel like there's more to it then that. Why can't I remember? I can't remember a lot of things, Bucky has had to tell me a few things that has happened to me but I have managed to gain back a few memories of being at S.H.I.E.L.D. but I still can't remember everything

The more I look at the screen with Atticus staring back with his stringy gray hair parted over his balding head, those cold blue eyes boring into my green ones, and the flashes in my mind of a white lab coat I can't help but feel... fear, complete and utter fear.

"Project Blood War? Atticus Rothwell, DNA scientist, what the hell," Bucky mumbles, more to himself then to me.

I hear him but I don't really _hear_ him, if that makes any sense. The words I hear but I don't make the connection to respond to his words, all I can think about is the man in the picture, I know him and I didn't like him.

I met him," I point at the man on the screen. "Before, before but I don't, can't remember when or where, but I know him. And the KGB doesn't want to take out HYDRA these files," I said, looking down at the flashdrive in my hands. "These are for this project, they probably are able to remove the black outs to read the non-tampered documents which have to be for something, something big."

"So the KGB wants to use these documents for some type of project involving blood which is most likely for some type of monster or soldier of sorts to what? Take over the word?" I nod. "Sounds accurate," he finishes.

"We need to get the hell out of here, and get as far away from here as we can," I say, typing in thd self destruction base code HYDRA used when I was still under their employment. Luckily it seems this base never got around to updating their systems as the computer takes the code. Leading Bucky from the room we dart through the halls, avoiding all the main hallways and take the back exit and we find ourselves stumbling through an alley.

Darting forward we stop when we are on the other side of the town. The building erupts into a bursting bright flash of white, red, orange, and yellow. The building collapses in on itself leaving only a pile of rubble in it's wake.

"Now what?" Bucky says, not enthusiasm in his tone at all.

"Now, we need to get as far away from this town and country as possible because the KGB won't be happy about this."

"Where are we going to go?"

"To the Avengers Tower, where else is there?"

Bucky shakes his head in a firm no. "No."

"We have to."

"But what about Steve, I tried to kill the guy, that's not exactly being a good friend."

"Get over it, you weren't yourself just like I wasn't the real me when I did all those things I did for HYDRA so we need to get over it and move on and besides he's your best friend, I don't think he'll hate you."

"Fine," he replies, rolling his shoulders in an uncomfortable feeling. "We'll go but don't expect me to be happy about it."

"Well you're never happy so it's nothing new, let's go."


	5. A Forgotten Melody

_Chapter Five: A Forgotten Melody_

**_Welcome back again, I am still working on it and there will be some things from the original version of this that you'll remember but new information and stuff will be added so as always, follow, favorite, and leave me comments._**

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**Third Person POV:**

_Natasha Romanoff walk through the hall of Avengers Tower like a zombie. Although the Black Widow did not cry, the mother side of her wanted to, she was morning on the inside. It's as if the world was paying her back for all the lives she took and all the wrongs she's made. Yes she had given up her only daughter all those years ago and thought nothing of it, things were different now. She has a place for her, she knew she could take care of her now, for once she had faith that she could take care of her daughter and just like that, it's all ripped away from her._

_Steve Rogers wasn't doing any better than her. He too felt all alone, like he'd failed. He found out his best friend was alive on the day he he had to take down S.H.I.E.L.D. but Bucky saved him, when he fell from the Helicarrier so obviously Bucky remembered, remembered something, remembered anything and Steve vowed to find him. Now here he is, all alone without his best friend who he knows was alive, as to whether of not that status still stands is unknowing and not knowing is the worst of it all._

_At least if he was dead Steve could mourn his death, again..._

_As for Vanya, well, Steve didn't know her all that well seeing as they only met twice and the first time she was under HYDRA's control but he knew she would die if she hit the ground but if Bucky was alive Vanya would be. There's no way Bucky wouldn't save her if he knew he could, especially if he was back to his old self._

_"Agent Romanoff and Steve Rogers report to Nick Fury's office, ASAP," a female voice booms throughout the tower._

_Natasha and Steve make their way into Nick Fury's office where he spins around in his black leather chair and looks at both of them with his one good eyes. "How would the two of you feel about going to Brazil?"_

* * *

**Vanya POV:**

Red, Yellow, and orange light glows on the horizon as the sun starts to break the dawn of the city, Bucky and I 'borrowed' a crappy white pickup truck from an abandoned car lot. We're almost at São Paulo by the ocean. We still haven't come up with a plan on how to escape from Brazil without the KGB tracking us, I already know that they'll be watching and monitoring any and everything they can.

Most likely they'll check all the airlines and records for any sign of us as well as the ferries and boats along the coastline to make sure we do not use that as a means of transportation, those are the only two ways to get back to the United States but if we can't get access to either of those then we're stuck in Brazil until we can find a way to escape.

Around 4:00 AM we arrive in a small little town, the type of place where everyone knows each other and instead of going to an IHOP they go to a mom and pop diner for their breakfast. A miniature coffee shop resides on a corner block on the side of the towns main street that runs straight through the town. If one were to stay on that road, they'd get to see the entire town. That's how small this town really is.

We pull into the parking lot of the small coffee shop and as we head towards the door, the flash of something green catches my eye. Bending down I pick up a ten dollar bill which someone obviously lost and follow after Bucky. He leads me into the coffee shop where we approach a woman with platinum hair tied back in a high ponytail.

We order coffee and I hand her the money and she gives me back the change, not even saying anything about our odd clothing. After receiving our drinks we take a seat in the back of the establishment, sitting far away from all the locals who stare at us like we were freaks. It's either because of what we are wearing or perhaps they think we're dating and since I'm seventeen and he's over ninety, well to them he's around twenty-six it must look disturbing.

"Okay," Bucky says, pulling the goggles from his face and looking at me with his cold eyes. "We need to make a plan to get out of Brazil, that should be our main focus."

"Well, the KGB will be checking all train stations, ferries, and planes so we have to travel in a non conventional way," I reply, taking a sip of coffee which is sweet and tangy with vanilla due to the fact that I'd added vanilla to it only seconds before. The ringing of the coffee shop door draws my attention as an elderly lady with a purple daisy decorated bandanna is carefully tied around her head, hiding her hair from view.

The woman behind the counter hands the elderly woman her drink but as the woman turns he gray eyes sparkles with joy when they land on me. She stops by me, not even acknowledging Bucky.

"Rayssa, é quase como destino a correr para você, mais uma vez, a última vez que te vi, você era tão pequena. Cevada 10 anos de idade, trabalhando em uma fábrica, dando-me o dinheiro que podia (_Rayssa, it is almost like destiny to run into you once again, the last time I saw you, you were so tiny. Barely ten years of age, working in a factory, giving me the money you could_)"

Replying to her in Portuguese I said, "Como é que você me entende? (_How do you know me?_)"

The woman grabs my hands and closes her eyes a minute before letting a sorrowful expression take over her once joyful outer view. Shaking her head she _tisks_ before sighing. Her fingers twist my red hair around her index finger before pulling away.

"Você teve muita tristeza em sua vida criança. Infelizmente, não haverá muito mais você vai ter que sofrer antes que as coisas vão melhorar. Serei sempre você aliado criança. Bendito seja o Senhor e que ele possa retornar roubado memórias (_You've had much sadness in your life child. Unfortunately, there shall be much more you will have to suffer before things will get better. I will always be your ally child. Bless the Lord and may he return your stolen memories_)."

With that she turns and walks from the building without looking back. Looking over at Bucky my expression saying exactly what I was thinking and he answers right away, obviously knowing what I was going to ask.

"I understood a few things here and there but no, I didn't get the jest of it."

"S-she called me Rayssa and the last time she saw me was when I was ten years old, but I don't have any recollection of that. My memories, they're gone, that's what that lady had said too and that there is much more suffering in my life."

"Maybe..." he trails off shaking his head as if deciding against saying whatever he was going to say.

"What?" I ask, following him as we exit the coffee shop.

"Never mind..." he shakes his head. "Where are we going to go now? If we can't use any type of conventional transpertation then we're trapped here until she and the KGB gives up on their search."

A memories flashes in front of me, the pickup truck and Bucky is gone and all I can see is a gray colored world, a forest consuming me and then a house surrounded in gray, a three story house with spray paint on the walls and boarded up windows. A safe house.

"Vanya, hello?" Bucky appears in front of me and the woods and the house is gone. "You still there?"

"Give me the keys, I know a place where we can lay low."


	6. Message in the Dust

_Chapter Six: Message in the Dust_

_**Welcome back, here, I am with the next chapter and this chapter will have more creative and new information and I know a lot of these chapters have bits and pieces from before but I'm tyring to salvage some of the original but I'm almost done so some new information and problems will arise so just stay tuned be sure to follow, favorite, and comment on this story.**_

* * *

**Third Person POV:**

_Natasha Romanoff ans Steve Rogers step off the jet at a secure ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. base where they plan to stock up on supplies before they storm the underground facility where allegedly HYDRA's been lurking and being as angry as they are with HYDRA due to the whole Vanya-Bucky disaster it's quite understandable. During the entire plane ride neither said a word to each other, both afraid of hurting the other persons feelings._

_Although Natasha never has been one to spare other peoples feelings in her current situation with feeling a hole in her chest that her daughter is most likely dead really had an impact on her. Vanya wasn't around Natasha during her childhood but she always felt it deep inside that her daughter was alive but now she feels nothing, she watched her fall and couldn't do anything to save her._

_The Black Widow doesn't fail and yet, she did. She failed and her daughter could be dead and that's a regret she'll have to live with along with all her other mistakes and bad decisions like the Hospital Fire. Another person to add to her ledger or red only this time it was her own flesh and blood._

_"Do you think...?" Natasha speaks up before quickly stopping, regretting her decision._

_"No," Steve replies, already knowing what she was going to ask. "I think they're still alive, I thought Bucky was dead when he fell off the Zola's Train but then I find out he's alive. If he could fall from that train when he was still human, I'm sure he could survive that fall."_

_Natasha looks at him, green eyes blazing. "But Vanya couldn't, that fall may as well have been her death certificate."_

_"Bucky could have kept her safe, he's been helping her. She mentioned knowing him when I saw her at my apartment while still under HYDRA's control so obviously she and Bucky have some kind of friendship."_

_"Or relationship."_

_Steve looks over at her, somewhat grossed out. "No, there's no way he'd date her, considering she's only seventeen after."_

_"Age has never stopped people before."_

_"It'll be fine Natasha, eventually we'll know for sure if they're dead or alive but right now we need to stay focused on this mission, we can't risk making a mistake, that could be fatal."_

_She nods her head in agreement. "You're right, mission first, Vanya and Bucky after."_

_They enter the base, heading straight for the weapons vault._

* * *

**Vanya's POV:**

An old, rotting wooden fence lines the entire forest to prevent trespassers from entering but when I pull the truck forward, the crunching gravel can't distract me from the memory replying over and over in my head. When the pickup truck reaches the gate, I hop out of the car leaving Bucky without saying a single word and stop by a tall oak wood tree.

Reaching for my knife I jam the knife into the closed up hole in the tree and carefully pop the fake piece of wood out, letting it fall to the ground. I move my hand forward, watching myself do it now as well as see myself do it before in the gray colored memory. The cold metal feeling of a key is my first indication of my having stayed here before.

A heavy metal lock rests on the gate, keeping it locked to the public so I step over to push the key into the lock and turn it. It proves accurate when the lock clicks and falls open, allowing us access. Stepping aside, I pull the doors open and wave for Bucky to pull the truck in and when he does I take the lock and re-lock in but on the inside of the gate instead.

Bucky switches seats with me when I get back to the truck. We say nothing to each other as I drive down the dirt path carved into the once green grass. My grip on the steering wheel tightens as we drive underneath the forest and trees that I recall from my faint memory recollection. The vehicle jerks from side to side as we cross the rough terrain.

With each passing rock, or tree, or ditch in the dirt, I can see pieces that tell me I've gone in the right direction which is great considering my memories have been torn away from me and I can't seem to recall anything that's happened. I don't remember much but I've been told a lot of things, for example Bucky told me that my mother is the Black Widow which i didn't remember.

I met her, or so Bucky told me but I-I can't remember anything because HYDRA wiped my memory when I was captured by them again after I'd managed to get away by being captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. whenever that was. It's so frustrating that I can't remember anything but the feeling of not knowing, not remembering anything is familiar.

While I can remember my full name Vanya Gemmanova Romanova, my age 17, and my alliance with HYDRA under the Red Room's order but I can't remember any of my missions except for the one's that I've just recently been on with Bucky. Then I also remember a cave, an explosion, falling into a pitch black abyss and my name cried out in utter agony. My mother.

Blinking a few time I stop the truck when we arrive at a patchy section of the woods covered overhead by the large, leafy trees, and down here on the ground hidden by the bushes, fallen leaves, and all the large and bulky rocks all across the land.

"Vanya, what the hell are you doing?" Bucky asks, getting out of the car a second after I do, taking the keys with me.

"We're here."

he glances around, sighs, and runs his human hand through his messy brown hair. "This is the middle of the forest, there's no way in hell we're going to be able to hide out here without being found. I think you need to take a nap because clearly, you're not thinking straight."

Turning back to him I roll my eyes and step forward and find a large rock placed over what my memory tells me is the opening. Pressing the palm of my hand against the rock a green light from the scanner zips over my hand before accepting my DNA. The rock shifts, moving out of the way and a dirt and grass covered metal door appear, then opens, revealing a metal latter that takes us down.

"Still think I need a nap Bucky?" I reply, hopping down the tunnel, not bothering with the stairs at all. When I hit the ground, I instantly roll out of the way and Bucky hops down into the tunnel as well. The tunnel is dark but the only sound is the faint dripping of water somewhere off into the darkened distance but I keep silent and start forward, my mind filtering my concern for what lies ahead.

As we pass through the tunnel, our footsteps echo down the rest of the way and bounce back at us. If my brief memory serves well then it should be down here and if I'm right, we'll be safe. At least for a little while. In the span of a few seconds bright lights overhead flicker to life allowing us to see the concrete circle we're walking in and the large square just a few feet ahead, that must be it.

We step through the square and in the back of the concrete room is the house I saw in my memory but instead of being in black and white the house in actually a dull purple color with chipping paint. The windows are boarded up and the concrete steps leading up to the wooden porch are chipped and cracked with black spray paint writing: 12/14/09 DOOMSDAY. 0293649-036 staining the wall. T

"You were right," is all Bucky has to say.

Everything is black and white again and Bucky is gone. I watch as clear tears falls from my face and the blood staining my clothes, looking down at my hands I see the black can of spray paint in my hand, the paint staining my hands.


	7. Under the Surface

_Chapter Seven: Under the Surface_

_**Hello everyone, well, to the readers, this chapter is totally new and everything in this chapter should primarily be new information but the next chapter is where the real info will be coming out. Be sure to follow, favorite, and comment on this story**_

* * *

_Everything is dark with one sole spotlight in the rooms center, I watch from the sideline as the sound of a heavy metal door swings open. Footsteps sound and out from the dark steps a man. A woman with dark brown hair and gray eyes and sits under the rooms spotlight, seated at metal table, the only furniture occupying the room, her hands cuffed to the tables legs._

_I can only see the side of the man's face, he seems cold, distant, almost like a machine. The woman keeps her eyes away from his, not daring to meet his cold blue eyed stair. I don't blame her, neither would I. Fear chills through every bone and vein in my body but I keep a plain face as the man pulls the chair across from her back before sitting down in it, scooting closer._

_"Hello, long time no see," the main begins, his voice void of everything one would normally hear in someone's voice. Emotions, motives, clues, tells, all of it gone and left with this cold, unfeeling tone giving nothing away._

_She doesn't respond, just looks down at the floor so he continues as if she had._

_"You know why we're brought you here, I am working on a project that could change the world as we know it. HYDRA has given me a chance to complete my work and all I have to do is complete Ruark's... project," he pauses, covering her hand with his own. She fights against the restraints, trying to get his hand off of hers._

_"W-what p-project...?" she looks up at him, her voice wavering. _

_He grins. "Remember the Black Widow?" _

_Slowly she nods, as if recalling so distant memory that she would much rather forget. "What about her?"_

_"Apparently she's never heard of birth control or safe sex and has left the Red Room, and HYDRA a farewell gift. She gave birth to a child, a daughter who has been adopted by a KGB worker and Ruark has convinced them to allow her to be 'borrowed' for mission for HYDRA and in exchange we make her much more dangerous than the Black Widow, who she'll be trained to kill."_

_She glares at him, the muscles in her jaw bunching together, she's gritting her teeth. "And what so you need me for, I no longer work for HYDRA not after what you did to..."_

_"I know what we did, he was a distraction. It had to be done, you are one of our best biologists but that isn't what you're here for. I have something else in mind, something much more useful than your skills in the biological field."_

_She swallows, blinks a few times, and ignores the sweat that trails down her forehead. "And what p-purpose could it possibly be? I left HYDRA on good terms, I-I never told anyone about you or Ruark. I kept the terms of my agreement to the leader when I retired."_

_He shakes his head. "You're the test subject Rye," he replies, getting to his feet and pulls something from his pocket. Jamming his arm forward I see the flash of metal from a needle as he presses the tip into Rye's arm. She scream out, fighting against the restraints and trying to distance herself away from the man and his needle but she can't escape, and even if she did, there's nowhere to go._

_Rye stills, her fighting gone and just when everything seems fine, all hell breaks loose. _

_"Aaah!" she screams, her voice so loud and high pitched that pain rattles through my ears. She shakes like she's having a seizure, her head bobs back and forth as her eyes rolls to the back of her head. White foam bubbles up from her throat, spilling from her mouth and falls on the floor with more foam oozing out from her, never waning as her body continues to quake._

_My hands clamp to my mouth to keep from crying out in fear, horror, and shock. Her skin slowly changes from a creamy, healthy tan to an offset and sickly shade of green. Her eyes are still rolled back in her head but when she finally gets them back in place the land on me and her eyes connect with mine and I can sense it, her fear. "Argh, aah!"  
_

_Her eyes roll again as her back arches up from the chair she is before dark crimson red blood pools from her ears and that's when it stops. Her body goes limp, falling from the chair lifeless, her arms still bound to the leg of the table. The man clicks his tongue, head shaking solemnly as if her death was not done by his own hands but some creature and he'd only stumbled onto the remains and was disappointed she hadn't protected herself well enough._

_"Tsk-Tsk, another serum, another dead body. Guards!" he yells, then waits as the door opens and four guards enter the room, not even glancing at the woman's lifeless body on the ground. "Dispose of this body, if you need me I'll be back in the lab continuing to fix the kink in the Black Mamba serum. Keep Vanya under lock and key, you know her wandering spirit."_

_"Sir, about that... Ruark just called from floor A, Vanya is no longer in her room, she's escaped," one of the guards tell the man._

_"Go find her, she couldn't have gotten far and once you have, put her in the Pit and maybe she'll learn to obey orders, once you do get rid of this course before it starts to rot and stick up the testing room."_

_"Yes sir," the shout, hands raising to their head in a salute before dropping again. The guards dressed in black thunder from the rooms spotlight and into the shadows off to look for me. Just as I am ready to back up, hiding myself further into the darkness the man turns, Atticus Rothwell looks into the darkness before I feel his eyes shift to me, my location._

_"There you are Vanya, always leaving worry in your wake. How long have you been hidden up there?" he takes a step towards me, I take another step back. "It's alright to speak child, I have no intention of hurting you. Why do you think she," he motions to the woman lying dead beside him. "Was used as a test subject? To make sure this serum is safe and sacrifices must be made in the name of science."_

_"You..." I narrow my eyes, fear clouding my judgement. "Y-you killed her! In cold blood, s-she never did anything but you... You killed her!"_

_"This is why children should be kept in the dark, you're young mind isn't capable of understanding what this serum when perfected could do, it will change the game and with your help and this serum, HYDRA will prevail. Perhaps a week in the Pit will change your mind," he reaches for his pocket and pulls out a small plastic, rectangular device and aims it at me._

_He presses his thumb on the button and my body freezes up like I grabbed an electric fence, it's like a live wire. "I-I will never, ever help HYDRA for-for something like this, d-death and destruction, yo-you will pay. All of you!" I shout._

_Atticus steps forward, a sharp blade swinging out of the small device as he places the tip to my shoulder. "Time for you to learn your place," he jams the knife into my shoulder and pain erupts, filling every aspect of my life, situation, thoughts. My body feels as though its on fire. Leaning down he whispers into my ear. "Hail HYDRA..."_

_My eyes fall closed but my voice rings through my own head, tone urgent, serious. **Under the stairs...**_

* * *

"No!" I shout, bolting up in a bed surrounded in almost compete darkness with the exception of the small ray of light from the artificial moon in the odd underground safe house. Looking around I remember what happened, I'm on the run from the KGB with Bucky Barnes AKA the Winter Soldier. My hearts pounds in my chest and I'm covered in cold sweats.

"Are you okay?" a voice asks from the doorway.

Glancing up I notice Bucky leaning against the door frame, metal arm reflecting the light from the window. Taking a deep breath I run my hands over my face then shake my head before responding.

"Yeah, just a nightmare" but in all honestly, I'm not and what I saw wasn't a nightmare, that happened, I-I know it did and whatever information is 'under the stairs' whatever that means and I have a feeling if that whatever is under the staircase will give me the information I've desperately been craving and I'm damn sure going to find it.


	8. Out from the Shadows

_Chapter Eight: Out from the Shadows_

**_Here we go again, the next chapter of An Assassin's Memories and all my readers, you should be able to comment now that I've passed the original comments so I really look forward to hearing what you think about the updates progress of this story so be sure to follow favorite, and comment and I'll try to update soon!_**

* * *

The rest of the night passes in a blur of constant rolling over in the bed, sheets getting tangled, kept awake by the memories I've unlocked, or just not being tired after everything. Needless to say I must look like a wreck, I got no sleep and I can't seem to focus on anything other than 'under the stairs' it must be under a staircase but which staircase, there are millions of stairs around the world.

How would I ever narrow down the search unless it's connected to this house, I've been here before so it's only logical that it could be talking about here; however, I haven't seen a single staircase she Bucky and I entered the home, there obviously must be one but the question remains. Where is the staircase and why would it be hidden when it's clear that the house has one?

If what I need to know is under the staircase then it must be incredibly important and top secret if it had to be hidden away to keep from being found. The real question is what is this Blood War HYDRA is talking about because that seems like a horrid idea so there must be more to it then what appears in the simple blacked-out text on the documents.

Pulling myself free from the blankets of the bed, I get to my feet and peek my head out of the bedroom. Down the hall in nothing but silence and the faint breathing of Bucky meaning he must be asleep, good. Tiptoeing down a darkened hallway, all I can think about is the staircase and then I'm not longer in the hallway in my current time, it someone elses.

_All along the woods, they're everywhere and I have to hide it. When they catch me it'll be all over if I let them get their hands on it so it must be hidden away from people that want to use it for nefarious purposes. It's up to be to be its guardian, at least until someone else can take over the responsibilities. I skid across the floor as I hurry past the doorway._

_Every bone in my body aches, throbs with such an intensity that the only think that's kept me moving is this small plastic box and what it contains inside. This could change the world either for good or evil but I am the deciding factor and Ruark will have my head when he and the rest of HYDRA catches e but if I hide this box well enough, if I live long enough, I can come back for it._

_The Winter Soldier, I know they will send him to assassinate me unless I am of use to HYDRA and I don't plan to be, not anymore, not after what I found out when I saw the Green Room. That can never be forgotten, they wrecked me, took away things, memories I never knew I had. Things are so twisted that it's insanity to believe anything ever told to me. _

_Memories from before the Red Room, the KGB, before HYDRA. I had a life back in the United States before they came, screams, blood, so much blood but the blood curdling screams cut me to the core. Sylvia never had a chance, it burned, she burned, they all burned in an engulf of deadly hot flames and I could only standby and watch as my friend burned alive._

_I was whisked away, thrown in the Black Widow program in Russia. I didn't even speak the language but they tried to teach me, but when I refused to cooperate, or even speak I was taken to a room. An off dentist like chair but armed with wrist straps, leg straps, and an odd device like those seen as a hair salon and they forced me to get in it. _

_Pain... So much pain and screaming, my screams. Hoarse, my voice faltered and I couldn't speak or talk, only imagine the agony screams as I tried to make a noise as the pain rattled through me. I'm finished..._

Blinking back, I feel a full throbbing in my head and a slight aching in my bones and especially in my joints as though they remember the pain, suffering I must have endured at one time. While the memory may not seem useful for finding the staircase, it did help me, I'm learning more and more about myself. I was wiped clean, all memories erased.

I was four years old when they burned down St. Mary's Orphanage for Children, that was where my mother... The Black Window, dropped me off at when I was an infant but then the KGB came for me, wanted a new, deadlier assassin. One much more dangerous than Natalia Romanova and who would be better an option than her unwanted child she'd given up?

_"Come on Vani, Saint Mary will be furious if we don't get back before the noon bell," _a little girls voice rings through my head, child-like tone so vibrant that if I didn't already know it was a memories that I'd assume a child was here in the room with me. I was once a normal child, well sort of, but I wan't a murderer, a deadly assassin trained to kill, no, a normal child.

A child with no cares or worries with only imagination to run my wildest fantasies, not secret organizations and leaders to tell me what to do and who should be dead, how can anyone decide that? Worst of all, I've actually done it, before the most recent memory wiping and whatever other times before they'd wiped me. What's real and what's not, I can't seem to tell anymore.

Reaching the end of the hallway I look up and down at the gray wood wall before placing my entire hand against it. A metal keypad appears from the wall and I glance down at the A-Z keys before typing in a four letter word. Vani. A small rectangular door in the wall, down by the ground swings open. I drop to the ground and reach into the small, dark cubbyhole until I feel the plastic of the box.

It a small, cloudy white box with a small latch that I flip upwards and follow that with the boxes lid. Inside the container is not at all what my mind had come to expect. Resting in the box is a silver skeleton key with a skull head at the key's base and rubies for the eyes. The key's attached to a similarly colored metal chain meant to be hung around my neck.

With a flick of the wrist, I have the chain and key attached and loop the icy cold metal over my head and let it rest against my warm skin before pulling back the collar of my shirt, letting the key drop inside my shirt to hide it from sight. Just when I'm to put the box back inside it's hiding spot a small, rectangular slip of paper catches my eye. Written on the sheet of paper in bold black ink are two simple words.

**_The Sanctary_**


	9. Watch the World Burn

_Chapter Nine: Watch the World Burn_

**_Here we go again, the next chapter of An Assassins Memories as always be sure to follow, favorite, and comment on this story and let me know what you think, also things are going to pick up very soon so stay tuned._**

* * *

The sanctuary, what is that suppose to mean, the word rings some distant piece in my memory but I can directly pinpoint it or what it means. The lack of knowledge is really starting to grin on my gears in the worst possible way. Bucky and I are about to head out, taking supplies from the base and are planning on heading to the cargo ships.

That seems so familiar to me...

Once before I did that, I can recall a bed, me underneath, pressed close to the wooden boards and the ruff bumps from the water. It was a long ride... A ride to, I can't remember where but it was far away, busy. Lively with people and so many signs, cars, and advertisements. I was running, running fro HYDRA I believe but that didn't sit right with me.

Something's missing between the gap in my memory. It'll come to me eventually but I don't need to know it right this minute, I've still got time to spare and besides, there are still memories that I don't have in my brain. Where is she? The Black Widow I mean, since she's my mom, from what I know, shouldn't she be here, looking for me?

_Maybe she is..._

A piece of me chimes in but without a counter response I move on, grabbing the backpack with clothing I head down the hallway, hiding the note I found from him, I'm not sure why I have it hidden from Bucky but something just tells me I should. Just as I reach the living room an odd sound, a loud, rumbling sort of noise clatters about the house, on the earth's surface.

Bucky rises to his feet, looking so intensly at the ceiling that you'd think he could see right through the roof, dirt, and rocks to the surface above. He steps from the room and reaches for the doorknob.

"You stay here, I'll go up and investigate," Bucky tell me and I'm sure he can see the scowl falling over my face. How come he gets to go while I stay here and watch the base like a good little ladies from the 40's who can't protect herself. I can take care of myself just fine, I've been doing it for years.

"Why should I? I have as much right to go see what's going on up there as you do."

He glares at me, brown eyes blazing with fury. "Because I said so, you are slower, and weaker then I am. You're more of a liability then an asset. You'll only get in the way, so stay here."

Without another word he pulls back the door and exits out, placing the slamming the door loudly, as if that will keep me in. How dare he say that to me!? A liability? Me. I speak at least twenty different languages and am trained extensively in a multitude of hand to hand combat including karate, Tie Kwan Dow, Jujitsu, and many other forms of combat methods.

I'm incredibly agile and can dodge a bullet coming at me at point blank range, only one bullet of course, but still. An assassin is a liability, I think he has lost all his senses. All frustrations aside, I need to know what's going on at the surface even if it mean denying the Winter Solder himself. Reaching for the door I realize the sound above has ceased.

A bad feeling washes over me, something's wrong.

_Bang!_ The loud noise stuns me for a moment until only a second later my composure is regained, that was from the surface. A distraction—! Suddenly it dawns on me, a newer HYDRA strategy put in play after I was held in custody at some... It was a... I can't remember exactly, it's one of those memories at the tip of my tongue but slip away whenever I reach for them.

In an instant I spin around to find Sergei standing there, face emotionless. Backing up I reach into my belt and pull my daggers free of their sheathing and prepare to fight him.

"Ruark isn't here if that's what you're thinking," he says as if it even matters to me. He's the enemy that will in the end take me back to that man in the first place but by the look in his eyes there something more going on.

"Doesn't matter."

"Yes," he nods, "It does, a man even higher up then my commander Ruark wants to see you, so either you can come willingly or I can take you by force."

Force sounds better. I lunge forward, knife raised. He ducks, thinking I'm going to try something as futile as stabbing. Bringing my knee up it collides into his face and he howls out in pain and looks up, left eye splashed in blood. Must have popped a vein in the eye.

Swing my leg out, I knock his feet out from under him sending him to the ground. As he attempts to get up I pull out my pistol and fire, hitting him in the calf.

"Argh!" he groans, trying to crawl away from me. Slamming my foot down on his injured leg I lean over him, releasing his foot as I flip him onto his back. Planting my foot firmly on his chest I have him pushed against the ground, unable to escape as I have the pistol aimed at his head.

"Who wants to see me, the Red Skull, Ruark's dad, is that who!?"

"No," he growls out, looking at me through one open eyes while the other squeezes shut as if that will stop the pain that he's most likely feeling.

"Y-you met him once, you were only five years old and he wanted to meet the great prodigy of the KGB, Red Room, and HYDRA. You were his ace in the hole,  
you were mostly used for mission that he, the higher up assigned, all the mission you went on that were assigned by Ruark happened after you turned sixteen there were a few that happened when you were nine but I doubt you remember that."

"I don't remember that!" I shout, pressing my foot down on his chest even harder. "Why is that!? How come I don't remember!"

"H-HYDRA wiped you memory, every eight years your memories were wiped, so twice, once when you were eight and again when you were sixteen."

"Why, why would they wipe my memories, what could HYDRA possibly gain from doing so?" I press, craving more answers. I need to know why, what did I do?

He laughs. "You would crumble under the wight of guilt as well as when you got older you'd understand the mission much better and know what is is you actually did and we couldn't risk you betraying HYDRA."

"And look where we're standing now!"

"I am not the one to blame child besides," Sergei stops and a new, male voice behind me speaks.

"You're not the picture of innocence either child, you've done a lot of awful things. Things HYDRA was kind enough to spare you from, you may want to acknowledge all the good we've done for you."

Suddenly Sergei jams a needle with weird neon green liquid into my calf and quickly injects the liquid and suddenly everything begins to spin our of focus. Even with all this considered, all I can think about is what horrible things could HYDRA have made me do that I was forced to forget? I fall forward but darkness surrounds me before I can feel the pain from the impact.


	10. Needle and Thread

_Chapter Ten: Needle and Thread_

**_Here we go with another chapter of An Assassin's Memories. I know I took awhile to update but I've been working on a lot of stories and stuff but this series is still in the works. Thanks for all the comments and favs so here's the next chapter._**

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_Silence..._

I was greeted by an eerie soundless three-walled white room with the wall infront of me with long metal bars like seen in old Western movies, chains binding both my arms together as well as a metal shackle around one of my ankles. The other side of the chain connected to the wall. My memories are a hazy blur of hallways, corridors, twists, turns, and scattering people who, for the life of me now, I cannot recall a single face.

Whatever it is that they injected me with seems to have been some sort of serum to keep my thoughts and memories out of focus in the chance that I woke up when the knock out aspect of the liquid comes back on. Must be a pupal dilator in the liquid as well, how else would I not be able to clearly see. Even now my gaze flickers in and out of focus, it's quite annoying.

A throbbing, ache rattles through my head and all I want is an Advil to make it go away. If I'm being kidnapped the least they could do would be to bring me some medicine considering they took everything else from me. My childhood, my life, my future, my memories, my family, my freedom, what more could they possibly want from me? What do I have that they want so bad?

Gritting my teeth when the loud bang of a door sends a wave of pain through me. Glancing up through one open eye I see someone, who I know. Someone I haven't seen since whenever it was that I escaped HYDRA. There before me stands Ruark Schmidt, the son of the Red Skull, eyes ablaze with an anger, no a hatred that I can't disguise.

Suddenly memories flash before my eyes...

_"It's time..." the man,_ no Ruark,_ says from behind the bulky computer desk that's scattered with stray papers. His voice is deep and raspy and even without seeing his face I know that he's the leader of HYDRA. "Here's the files Black Mamba, you have half and hour to review them before we send you out," he says, getting up and turning to face me, a manila folder in hand, "this, as you know, is your first mission and your success on this one will determine whether or not you are allowed on any more missions."_

The another one, and older one. So recent, I can feel it, it all comes together and I remember...

_"This is going to be fun, see you when you wake up..." he exits the room, leaving the needles embedded in my arms. A white blind is pulled open from the glass pane window where I see Ruark standing behind a control panel, his hand hovering over a big red button. He presses a different button and says: "Memories are the enemy of every assassin Vanya, remember that."_

_He presses down of the red button and a glass ball on a stone Column is soon filled with yellow electricity bouncing against the glass and the lights in the room I'm in flicker._

_"Aah!" I scream when I feel the electricity surging through my body. The sensation is numbing, like when you grab a hold of an electric fence and it's difficult to release your hands. My body burns from the surging electricity, it's heating up the atoms in my body. I'm not even screaming anymore, I can't form the sound I can't make any noise at all. Foam drips out of the corners of my mouth and onto the floor._

_Black dots dance across my vision and things begin to blur. Where am I?_

_Why am I here anyways?_

_Who am I? Vanya Romanova, AKA Black Mamba_

_That's who I am..._

"You..." I growl suddenly, it all comes back to me, not before the other times, before sixteen but I can remember everything. I did get away when I though the Winter Soldier, I mean Bucky was working for HYDRA which I now know was only to get me out of the organization. Nick Fury on the monitor when he found out I was the daughter of the Black Widow.

Him telling me who my father is...

"You remember I assume? Needless to know now child, you'll be dead in a matter of days unless you provide the information I require and perhaps I could cut you a deal."

"Never...!"

"At least hear me out, tell me what you did with it," he steps closer to the the bars on the fourth wall in front of me. He places a hand on one of the metal bars and tilts his head at me.

"What did I do with what? I have no idea what you're talking about."

He narrows his cold, detached eyes at me a moment as if to detect any lie in my tone but he doesn't for long, he can tell I speak the truth. Turning, to head out of the room but I speak up, stopping him. I will never help him but I need to know what it is that he thinks I have because whatever it is, is essential to HYDRA and their plan.

"What is it that I have?"

"Had," he corrects, not looking back. "Besides, if you can't remember then I have no use of you."

"Tell me, maybe you'll trigger a memory," I press, trying to convince him to spill the information, to divulge it so when I escape I have something over HYDRA to report back to Mom when or even if I see her again.

Just as he opens his mouth to speak, an alarm blares. Filling the room and facility with a loud, endlessly ringing racket and Ruark glances back at me, eyes blazing with a rage I can't comprehend.

"Tell me!" I shout finally, glaring right back. "What is it that I took, stole, hid."

He gives a humorless laugh and keeps a stoic yet hard look on me. "You've taken a million things from HYDRA Vanya Romanova, why do you think I had you wiped every two years, after the inefficiency of the original plan, I started wiping you every two years so you'd have less of a chance to remember anything but what you took, was much more important, more valuable."

The lights go from a normal white glow to a deep red flashing sort of shade giving an ominous look to an already comforting situation.

"Find the key and you'll know the answer," with that he darts from the room and if it wasn't for me knowing, no one would ever know he had made an appearance here. Another mystery to add to the constantly growing list. Rubbing my thumb against the bone in my other thumb, I pop it from the socket and pull my arms free one by one then back once my hands are free.

Pulling a bobbypin from my pocket, I pick the chain around my ankle and the door I'm caged into when I hear HYDRA agents shouting about someone, more than one person. In Arabic one man shouts.

"It's the Black Widow, she's found us!"

_Mom?_


	11. A Mad Mad World

_Chapter Eleven: A Mad Mad World_

**_So, I'm back again with the next chapter of An Assassin's Memories, so I know its been like two weeks since I've updated but I've been working on a lot of stuff and with the third installment of Panic's series nearly done, I'll be freeing up more time to work on this story so bare with me. Anyways be sure to follow, favorite, and comment because drive me to write more._**

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Alarms blare, loud, low, and ear piercing into my eardrums that sent shooting pains through it so intense that I am forced to cover my ears with my hands as I try to formulate a battle plan for what lies on the other side of the closed door where my cell is located. I rifle through the lone desk pressed to the adjacent to the cell in search of weapons, any kind.

I find three medium length daggers with carefully scrolled golden handles with glistening metal blades so sharp that they could cut through flesh like it was paper, that much I know for sure. This is a deadly weapon that will supply a grand and dangerous weapon to fend off and defeat HYDRA soldiers that may be waiting for me to escape the room.

Suddenly it all settles in for me, every two years, not every eight like I was supposed to be wiped but no, every two years I have been wiped and have lost all of the memories that I had gained. Forgot everything, I wonder what I was like, before being wiped, how different was my personality from that I have now? Was I nicer, or was I even colder than I am now...?

_"Get down, hide in the bushes and I'll lead them away, make your escape," I say, looking at the ten year old boy and his two years younger sister. He nods his head frantically as I slip a blade from my hip._

_"W-what are you going to d-do with that?" he stutters, looking at me with wide eyes._

_Glancing back I keep a calm collected look while my hands ached to clench in fear but I refused to show weakness. "Whatever I have to," I look down to see the small box in his hands. "Keep that box safe, hide it away somewhere for me to find, if I even get to remember anything."_

_Turning, I run back into the building by a wooded forest, blades ready. I slash through over twenty to thirty guards in a matter of minutes as I already know my memories will be wiped, again._

I blink, shaking my head that cold rock of truth sits in my stomach like a weight that's trying to pull me to the floor. So I knew, back then, whenever that was, she, that me, figured it out somehow and began a fight against HYDRA but who knows how many times they have wiped me over the years, how warped my emotions truly are considering everything.

What was a I stealing though, that's the question needing answers, obviously based on all that I have encountered as of lately that I had some sort of agenda that I was working towards but now there's a box that has importance that was to been hidden for me to find earlier. And Ruark said that I've stolen a lot of things from HYDRA so all those things must be important.

Now's not the time for me to be worrying about the past, right now I need to stay focused on the present, like how to get the hell out of this room undetected because the door lock for the main cell is of a higher caliber and is less likely able to to be picked with a bobby pin so I need to figure out a way to escape and plus if I can slip out unnoticed, I can cause more damage to HYDRA.

Hoping on top of the desk I was looking through only moments ago, I scan over the roof and climb up inside of the ceiling. It's damp, dark, and I'm pretty sure I can hear rats or mice scurrying around up here but that doesn't bother me one way or the other. I'm used to doing stuff like this, well, I assume I probably am and besides, either way they're less dangerous than where I'm headed.

Slipping through the tunnel inside the ceiling I can see through the cracks to the battlefield below. HYDRA agents dressed in black uniforms, the sound of gunfire mixed in with the blaring alarms and flashing red lights. Jumping down from the ceiling into an empty hallway, I rise to my feet to scope the area. White tile floors, and no one around.

I glide down the hallway as there is still not another person in sight but remain on high alert in the case of someone appearing at any second. When it comes to HYDRA agents, you never know who's going to show up or even why they're there. I step into a grand opening where I can see the battle taking place. Natasha Romanoff sweeping her legs out.

Knocking agents off their feet, the sound of gun fire blasting throughout the circular room. Steve Rogers must be in here since Natasha is speaking through a comm unit in her ear. I wonder where Bucky is, I figure he would be here as well. I haven't seen or heard from him so I'm wondering if he's alright which is a pretty logical question to have.

"Hey..." the low, emotionless voice behind me asks, spinning I come face to face with none other than Bucky. To keep from squeaking in surprise like a normal girl would, I instead take a step back. Narrowing my eyes, I brace a hand over my pounding heart.

"Thank you so much for the heart attack," I growl, dropping my hand away as I straighten up. Gunfire still litters the background noise and I begin thinking about what is my best method of helping them. Whether it be just appearing and fighting or subtle secret types of coordinated attacks that will keep the enemies in the dark. "We should probably help them," I say suddenly.

Spinning around the corner, I launch a dagger forward, slicing through one of the HYDRA agents calf muscle to keep them from escaping. Natasha looks and her green eyes land on me and some emotion reflects in her now glistening eyes and while I can't pinpoint the exact emotion, I can tell that she's relieved to see me, probably because she's my mom.

Just as the battles about to go under way, the agents retreat and something about that puts me on edge, this doesn't make any sense but when Steve appears and glance at someone behind me, I can already tell it's going to be a long day.

"Bucky..." is all Steve says.


	12. Hostile Takeover

_Chapter Twelve: Hostile Takeover_

**_Okay, so I know it took me awhile to get around to writing this, but I'm gonna try to get it finished ASAP because there's a million other story ideas in my head and I keep thinking about how I need to get this one finished. As for Vanya's father, well, I'm not a thousand percent sure who it is, but I have an idea for who I may have it be. Anyways, hopefully it won't take me a million years to update this time around, heh, heh, heh..._**

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Tension was as thick as a block of ice, the room seems to have dropped about thirty degrees. Considering that it was only about sixty to begin with, it's obviously gotten pretty frigid. Awkwardly, I rub the back of my neck as I glance back and forth between the two best friends. Wonder what Bucky's gonna say to that, it's got to be uncomfortable. Seeing the friend you tried to kill and all...

Natasha edges forward, slowly, as if she's afraid that any sudden movement will make me bolt in the opposite direction. She's wrong, but I suppose I can understand why she might make that assumption. When she's about three footsteps away, she comes to a stop and I bite back a sigh. I know what she's after. I close the distance between us and throw my arms around her.

Immediately, she tenses up but lets herself relax after a few fleeting seconds. Just as we pull apart and she's about to speak, I shake my head. As much as it must pain her not to tell me what she wants to say, we just don't have time.

"We can have a heart to heart later, we're still in a HYDRA base and now's not the time for a reunion," I reply, my voice void of emotions. It's better this way, to keep myself from feeling until we're out of the battle zone. Bucky seems to realize this too and shakes himself out his stunned and uneasy silence. Bucky glances my way and Mom tenses up again.

"Vanya's got a point. Steve, we've got a lot to talk about, but we'll save that for later. Right now," he pulls out two handguns, one in his human hand and the other in the metal prosthetic. "We've got work to do."

Mom nods her head, handing me a gun of my own as the sound of pounding on the metal doors of the room get louder and louder with every passing minutes. Mom ans Steve pass a look between one another before filling Bucky and me in.

"We had to barricade the door to keep the mass of HYDRA agents out," Steve said, holding his shield a bit tighter in his grasp. "Otherwise, we'd never have found the two of you."

"Unfortunately, that door isn't going to hold for long," Mom finishes, and just as she does, the door blasts inward. Flying into the room and skidding across the metal floor of the room. HYDRA agents barrel in, all dressed in black uniforms with bullet proof vests. So we're shooting to kill, I note silently to myself. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a shadow running along the pathway around the large windows above. Someone's escaping, and I think I know who.

Damn... There's nothing I can do about it now, not with all these HYDRA agents that are here to kill us. I'll just have to deal with the coward later, and believe me, when I get my hands on him... It'll be gruesome.

The room comes alive with gunfire as the agents of HYDRA shoot wild and blindly, they know they're in over their heads but no one ever said that the people in HYDRA were smart now, did they? I lunge out of the way of gunfire, as does everyone else. Soon we're all spread across the battlefield. Mom is on the opposite side of the room from me, a crowd of HYDRA agents surrounding her.

Bucky stands on the railing above us, firing rounds down at HYDRA agents while dodging shots aimed up at him. Steve is deflecting bullets and knocking out agents with that Vibranium shield of his. I don't want to use all the bullets in the gun Mom gave me right now, I may need it later and pathetic HYDRA soldiers aren't much of a threat to me.

I'm surrounded on every side by enemies and as I glance around, an idea comes to me. I launch forward at the HYDRA agents in front of me, all the others take aim at me, I swerve at the last minute, using my speed to propel myself up into the air at the last second. Their guns fire just as I land just outside their circle. Everyone falls in a heap. They accidentally killed each other because of their shifting movements to follow me.

Swiping the guns from the dead HYDRA agents, I notch them in the many holsters I've got. Taking one gun in each hand, I start to tread down the rooms center, firing at every HYDRA agents in my way. Plowing down their numbers as they crumble dead, their crimson blood oozing out across the floor. Keeping my eyes diverted from the blood, I keep firing.

Bodies of dead HYDRA agents are everywhere and I can feel the familiar sting of guilt and remorse swelling in the pit of my stomach, I want to throw up, but I push the feeling back down and press on. Mom's taken out her circle and joins me in mowing down the enemies as Bucky aids up from up above, firing at the agents I can't see or those behind me.

It seems lie it takes forever, but in reality it only about five minutes for three former assassins and a super-soldier to decimate the nearly filled to the brim room of HYDRA agents. That puts a sinking feeling in my stomach. My mind feels like it's drowning when Bucky jumps down from the walkway above and lands beside Mom, Steve, and me.

My arms are shaking, I can feel it's from my nerves. Hiding my arms out of sight, none seem to notice my lack of control over my feelings and response to the situation that we were just in. Cold laughter fills the room as we look across the room to one of the HYDRA soldiers. He's battered, bleeding, and bloody with a bullet hole in his chest. He just laughs, something about him unsettles me.

"It's so pathetic," he spits out a clot of blood. "You actually think you've won this? Ha! We were only the distractions, to keep you four idiots busy while the grand supreme of HYDRA made his getaway, he will be the victor. You all shall fall and will tremble beneath his might. Ha, ha, hah! Project Blood War is far from over child, yes you may have been a part of it Vanya, but you stole the last piece needed, but Ruark knows what he's missing now, you loose—! AGH!"

Gunshot. Mom glared at the HYDRA soldier, fury in her normally emotionless green eyes. Her gun raised and still smoking from pulling the trigger. The man's eyes went wide and wild. Blood squirted out from his heart, every pump shooting more blood on his clothes. His body shook and convulsed in what seemed to be absolute agony, then he went completely limp.

I watched as the life left his already cold eyes.

Lowering her gun, Mom turned away and started down the hallway with Steve hot on her heels. I watched the body for a minute longer, until I felt Bucky's metal hand on my back, nudging me forward. I complied and eased out the door. Glancing over at Bucky, I could tell he was feelings just as on edge and confused as I am. Neither of us is sure of what awaits us back at Avengers Tower, but we do know that it's not going to be a peaceful vacation.

All I know for sure is that we have to stopped Ruark from completing his mission. It's not going to be good if he succeeds, even if I'm not sure what he was planning or what I hid from him, I know that I must have done it for one hell of a good reason and nothing's going to stop me from keeping the world safe from a madman like Ruark Schmidt and that's all there is to it.


End file.
